Praise for IMO GPs on Operation Transformation

Diabetes Test Day - 19th January 2012

Following weeks of preparation the Irish Medical Organisation and RTE Operation Transformation Programme joined together to raise awareness of Type II Diabetes on Thursday, 19th January 2012.

In total 54 GPs in nine locations around the country set out to screen 1,000 high risk members of the public for Type 2 Diabetes. The day was a huge success and exceeded all targets with almost 1,600 people screened.

Presenter Kathryn Thomas thanked the IMO and the GPs for giving their time freely. She said “it was a historic day in the 5 year history of Operation Transformation programme. Over 160 people were advised to attend their own GP for further testing and 15 cases of previously unknown diabetes were provisionally diagnosed, with urgent follow up by the patients’ own GPs being advised.”

She said; “A huge thank you is owed to the IMO and the GPs and because of them many peoples’ lives have already changed.”

The IMO would also like to thank the GP volunteers who participated in this worthwhile initiative.

IMO President, Dr. Ronan Boland who was located at the Cork test centre said “We are aware too that GPs in several parts of the country offered and provided the same free testing service to patients in their practices on the day. I’d like to thank everyone who gave their support - we appreciate the commitment and generosity of your volunteering to provide a valuable service and to raise awareness of type II diabetes in the country.”

Dr. Boland, who was hugely involved in driving this initiative added, “The success and positive feedback of this one day event may lead to an annual screening day in co-ordination with RTE Operation Transformation, with additional testing centres nationally. We welcome the support of GPs who would be interested in participating in further such initiatives.”

He said: “This campaign has clearly shown the important role general practice has in providing quality patient care in the Irish Health Service.”

Further data that may be of interest:

•Of those screened approximately 1,000 were over 50 years of age

•New cases of Diabetes were found 8 times more frequently in those over 50 who came for testing than in those aged under 50.

•Borderline readings were also more than twice as likely in the over 50s than in the under 50s.